Talk:Theodor Eberbach/@comment-25228560-20160401011215/@comment-24663971-20160401032345
I disagree with a lot of your assumptions on the characters and their "purpose" in the story, however, much of the issues are in that the anime did not have the time to add the proper scenes to create better characterization as the Light Novel did. I'm sure the visual novel will improve further given it will be the third adaptation of the content, and it's also age's primary storytelling medium that they have the most experience in. Also, given how much of the eroge market is all about happy endings with their cast, I think that because Muv-Luv is willing to play in tragedy just makes it capable of becoming a more complex setting. It goes to show humans are flawed, they make mistakes, and sometimes even when they try and fix things, they can't have their cake and eat it too. Of course it would have been "sweet" to see a happy ending between Irisdina and Theodore, but ignoring the trials and the odds that they had to face to both survive is foolhardy. The sacrifices of Schwarzesmarken weren't just to build tension or to get rid of secondary characters, but rather show that this is a very dangerous, very real conflict that can see anyone die at any time. Irisdina was the crown on that point. Lise, with her end in the light novel, I think honestly rounded her character route so perfectly I couldn't have put it better. Even after she was captured by her brother and taken to the rebels, given her last chance to atone before execution, she still lied to them about Irisdina's location that benefited Beatrix and the Stasi. Why? After all they had done to her, Lise wasn't strong enough to break free; however, because she took all of the torture, hatred, and fear of the Stasi to free her brother, Theodore managed to not only become the hero that "freed" her from her burdens, but would go on to save East Germany and avenge those who died before him. "Forget this person, because they are nothing but a dog of the Stasi.", was the closest she could send a message to her brother that she loved him, and the she wanted him to remember her as she was before, not as she died. Katia if anything was the most cliche character in the cast, of course this is just my opinion, but she was just an observer to much of the story for being such an important protagonist. She was also a catalyst to many of the events, her presence pushing the other characters to progress the story, but she herself took a peripheral role. Even her speech at the end was admittedly disappointing; like the writer threw her a bone to get back into the story. The entire story was her innocence being picked away and replaced with the determination of a soldier, but she never became that soldier, at least that the audience got to see. That is why I wish the anime had done something like show them suiting up and getting ready for another battle for the ending, to show Katia was no longer the little sister that needed protecting, but rather was ready to take over her father's and Irisdina's mantle and fight with the man she loves, even if he wouldn't be willing to love her back. That shows maturity, pressing on even when you don't get what you want.